Is Golden Boy Protecting Abner Mares Too Much?
Revised: 06/02/2014
It is official: fan favorite featherweight, Abner Mares is scheduled to join the Canelo vs Lara undercard on July 12th 2014. This movement should entice a few more purchases for pay-per-view sales.
After a year off from boxing, Mares finally returns to face Jonathon Oquendo (24-3). Unfortunately for fight fans it will not be facing Johnny Gonzalez, a 31 year old veteran, who schocked the boxing world last year with a 1st round knockout of Mares. I recall watching the fight and saying, "did that just happen?".
Apparently, Abner Mares has elected to fight someone else. Originally the rematch was scheduled right away but perhaps at the advice of Al Haymon, Golden Boy Promotions has post-poned the fight.
The official reason was a"rib-injury", however, Showtime had already secured a date for a rematch and Abner Mares hired new trainer, Virgil Hunter, a defensive boxing guru to help him prepare for the fight [ESPN Source].
Look how the mighty have fallen -- once a top feather weight in the world with a huge fan following from Mexican and Mexican-American audiences, Mares was poised to be a huge star.
There were talked Mares was going to face off with Filipino sensation, Nonito Donaire, headling his own pay-per-view event. Of course this was prior to Golden Boy ending it's relationship with HBO and way before Mares met Johnny Gonzalez overhand right.
For now, Mares is forced to repair his career as he prepares for a rematch with Johnny Gonzalez. This is imperative for the young-Mares to regain his respect from the boxing community.
It remains to be seen if Abner Mares can pull off an epic comeback or if he is destined to be the next Amir Khan? Remember Khan's legacy as a big name was short-lived after his weak chin was exposed.
With the rumors flying that Al Haymon is cutting ties with Golden Boy after Schafer's departure, Mares and Canelo are the immediate future for Golden Boy Promotions. It is possibly the reason Golden Boy is protecting Mares more than they normally would.
There is a lot riding on the success of Mares, not just his own career but the state of Golden Boy and boxing to a lesser degree. Mexican fans enjoyed Mares and look for him to rebound -- afterall, he has a fan friendly style and just needs his skills to match the hype sooner rather than later.
